Dice game

ABSTRACT

An icosahedron die having two sets of numbers from 0-9 thereon usable in a tetrahedron arrangement of spheres. The spheres and other shakers being provided with platforms therein, the platforms having an opening with a slidable closure to permit the dice to be transferred between two chambers formed by the platform.

United States Patent Hoetzel July 1, 1975 DICE GAME 2,452,730 lI/l948Carter 273/145 c a 1 273 144 R [76] Inventor: John H. Hoetzel, 650Americana 3095655 7/1963 erg und e! a I Ux Dr., Apt. 108, Annapolis, Md.FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 21403 $05,689 5/1939 United Kingdom273/145 United B App]. 1510.; 473,213

Related US. Application Data Division of Ser. No. 344,877, March 26,I973, abandoned.

US. Cl 273/145 C Int. Cl. A63F 9/04 Field of Search 273/145 C, 145 R,145 A, 273/145 B, 145 D, I44 R, I44 A, 144 B,

146, l38 R, 147, 58 F, 120 R References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS1/1938 Tapio 273/144 A Primary Examiner-Richard J. Apley AssistantExaminerArnold W. Kramer Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Arthur Schwartz [57]ABSTRACT An icosahedron die having two sets of numbers from 0-9 thereonusable in a tetrahedron arrangement of spheres. The spheres and othershakers being provided with platforms therein, the platforms having anopening with a slidable closure to permit the dice to be transferredbetween two chambers formed by the plat form.

3 Claims, 18 Drawing Figures SHEET FIG. I6

FIG. I4

DICE GAME This is a division of application Ser. No. 344,877, filed Mar.26, 1973, and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to gamesof dice wherein a plurality of dice are shaken or rolled in a container.

Die Structure Dice have been made in any number of configurations asevidenced by Sieve US. Pat. No. 3,208,754. This patent illustrates fivedifferent shapes of dice having from four sides to twenty sides;whereas, Cowles US. Pat. No. 1,054,341 illustrates a die having twentysix sides.

One of the objects of the instant invention is to provide a die andgames associated therewith wherein the die is in the form of anicosahedron having twenty sides with two sets of numbers from 1 to 10.In the field of education and child development the numbering system hemust learn to live with is one revolving around the base 10, i.e., 1-10or -9. Virtually all commonly used mathematics is developed around thisbase. By having a series of dice which are numbered from zero throughnine. the child can form any number, depending upon the number of diceused. For example, if three dice are used, he can develop any numberfrom 000 to 999. In this way not only can he learn the common numberingsystem but he can also learn addition, subtraction, division,multiplication, as well as concepts such as less than and greater than.This has not been possible with prior art dice.

Tetrahedron Structure Another aspect of the invention is theincorporation of a twenty-sided die or a group of twenty-sided dice incontainers. Therefore another object of the invention is to provide aplurality of spheres having platforms wherein the four spheres connectedtogether can be thrown and a pair of dice with an appropriately labeledplatform will appear.

While patents such as Wharton US. Pat. No. 1,030,554 and Sutherland US.Pat. No. 2,879,066 illustrate games which have numbered caps or balls onthe ends and patents such as Madan US. Pat. No. 1,593,907 and Brown US.Pat. No. 2,528,029 illustrate bodies or cubes having dice therein,nothing in the prior art has provided a series of spheres connected in atetrahedron manner having platforms and the dice therein in the mannerillustarted and discussed below.

Shaker Structure Another aspect of the invention is a dice cup withupper and lower chambers having a platform therebetween which willfacilitate the movement of the dice between the two containers wherein agame of chance can be played.

A common thread which runs through the variously discussed inventions isthe utilization of a removable platform between a pair of chambershaving twentysided dice therein, the dice having two sets of numbersfrom zero to ten.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects and advantages of thepresent invention will be apparent upon reference to the accompanyingdescription when taken in conjunction with the following drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of an icosahedron die;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the die of FIG. 1 in a flattened state;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a tetrahedron formed of four sphereshaving dice therein;

FIG. 4 is a section view of one of the spheres illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a platform seen in the spheres of FIGS. 3and 4;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of a modified sphere of the type usedin FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a section view of the sphere in FIG. 6',

FIG. 8 is a tetrahedron bolt used in joining the spheres of FIGS. 6 and7 to form a tetrahedron of the type illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a platform used in the spheres of FIGS. 6 and 7;

FIG. 10 is a slide closure for the platform of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an end view of the slide closure of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a side view of a dice cup according to the invention;

FIG. 13 is a section view of the dice cup illustrated in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a view of the platform illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13;

FIG. 15 is a closure utilized with the platform illustrated in FIG. 14and as seen assembled in FIG. 12;

FIG. 16 is a side elevation view of the closure of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a side elevation view of a modified shaker; and

FIG. 18 is a section view of the shaker of FIG. 17.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Set out below is a detaileddescription of the invention.

DIE SEEN IN FIGS. 1 AND 2 Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 a twenty-sided die1 is seen having two sets of numbers from 1-10, one set 3 having circlesaround the respective numbers and a second set 5 having trianglestherearound to distinguish the two sets. When the child throws the dieone of the numbers with either a circle or a triangle therearound willappear in the uppermost position. If the child throws two dice he willhave a two-digit number. If he throws three dice, he will have athree-digit number, etc.

In a game a fourth die may be provided having a multiplication,division, addition, or subtraction indication thereon. The child wouldfirst throw a first icosahed ron die, then an instruction die tellinghim what to do (for example, multiply); and finally throw anothericosahedron die which he would then multiply times the first die.

Alternatively, he could throw three icosahedron dice, put them togetherin a row and come up with a threedigit number.

It will be appreciated that the process of learning mathematics could bemade into a game.

Four-sphered Tetrahedron Game Illustrated in FIGS. 3-11 A series of fourspheres 10 are connected together to form a tetrahedron as seen in FIG.3. Each sphere II] has a platform 12 therein with a mathematicalindication I4 in the form of a minus sign. plus sign, division sign andmultiplication sign. A pair of icosahedron dice I6 are seen in each ofthe spheres. The platform I2 is secured to the sides of the sphere byglue or by positioning in a slot as seen at I8 in FIG. 4. Alternatively,the platforms 12 can be formed in such a way to be free-floating in thesphere. When the tetrahedron is thrown, the uppermost sphere will landin such a manner that the platform 12 (which may be appropriatelyweighted) will rest in a position horizontal to the ground. The platform12 can also be formed with a lower portion shaped to conform with space20, thus assuring that the platform will rest in the proper location.

As seen in FIG. 3 the "minus" sign has landed in the up" position.Therefore, the child will be instructed to subtract the number zero tonine on one of the dice from a number from zero to nine on the other ofthe dice.

An alternative modification seen in FIGS. 6-11 illus trates a sphere 22having a stationary platform 24, the platform having slot 26 therein.Positioned in the cen ter of the slot 26 is an opening 28. The sphere 22also has an opening in the side 30 whereby a slide closure 32 having adepending portion 34 thereon and a minus" sign 14 can be slid throughthe opening 30 into the slot 26 and covering the opening 28. In thebottom of the sphere 22 is a threaded opening 36. By means of slide 32,opening 28 and threaded opening 36 the child or teacher can change theinstructional sign 14 and/or the dice in the sphere.

As illustrated in FIG. 8 a tetrahedron bolt 40 is seen having afour-sided central section 42 and four threaded screw members 44thereon. The fourthreaded screw members 44 are designed to be threadedinto openings 36 to connect four spheres in an easily detachable manner.

Shaker Illustrated in FIGS. [2-18 Referring now to FIG. 12 a sphericalshaker is seen with a platform 52 separating the sphere into an upperchamber 54 and a lower chamber 56. At the base of the lower chamber isan opening 58 having an annular lip 60 thereon. A base cap 62 having aninwardly directed annular lip 64 is snap-fitted onto lip 60 closing theopening 58. The sphere 50 has a side opening 66 to accommodate a handleportion 68 of a slide 70. The slide 70 is positioned in a groove 72 inplatform partition 52. Also located within the slide groove 72 is anopening 74. The slide closure 70 has a mathematical or other instructionsign 76 thereon. It will be appreciated that the marking 76 is notnecessary and is selectively changeable.

Another modification seen in FIGS. 17 and 18 has correspondinglynumbered elements but of a shape having an upper chamber 54' in afrustroconical configuration.

In a game of chance, five dice can be positioned in the uppercompartment 54 and shaken, the game being to obtain as many dice withthe same number thereon. Normally, five conventional dice numbered 1" to6" are used. After the dice are shaken, those dice with the same numberthereon are noted and removed to the lower chamber by sliding theclosure away from opening 74 and allowing the dice to fall therethrough.The dice in the upper chamber are reshaken and any additional numbersidentical to those thrown the first time are noted and the total numberrecorded.

An example of the above would be shaking all five dice in the upperchamber one time. It will be noted that the number 6 appears on twodice. These two dice are removed to the lower chamber through opening74. The remaining three dice are shaken again and the number of 6s areagain noted. In the example used, it may be assumed that one additional6 appears. Therefore, this player will have three 6s to his credit.

The next person then takes his turn with all five dice in the upperchamber. It may be assumed that when he shakes the first time he willget three 5s. The three Ss are then removed to the lower chamber and theplayer shakes the remaining two dice. Now it may be assumed that heobtains one additional 5 on his second shake. He will therefore havefour Ss, as opposed to the original players three 6s. He will thereforewin the game.

An advantage of the instant device is that it permits the players toshake the dice without any influence created by their hands on the diceor on the opening of a container normally used to throw the dice ontothe table.

While several embodiments of the invention has been described, it willbe understood that it is capable of many further modifications and thisapplication is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptions ofthe invention following in general, the principles of the invention andincluding such departures from the present disclosure as come withinknowledge or customary practice in the art to which the inventionpertains, and as may be applied to essential features hereinbefore setforth and fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A dice agitator comprising a transparent closed hollow containerhaving a base supporting said eontainer in an upright position; aplate-like platform parallel to said base extending between the innerside walls of said container dividing said container into an upper andlower chamber, said platform having an opening therethroughinterconnecting said chambers; a recipro cal sliding closure extendingthrough an opening in the side of said container, said closure being insliding engagement with said platform to form a substantially planar topsurface with said platform to close said platform opening when in onereciprocated position and establishing communication through saidplatform opening between said chambers in a second reciprocated positionthereof; and a plurality of dice in said container, each being of asmaller dimension than said platform opening, whereby the dice in theupper compartment may be shaken and read with the reciprocated closurebeing utilized to provide the desired number of dice in said uppercompartment.

2. An agitator as defined in claim 1 wherein the sliding engagementbetween said closure and said platform comprises a tongue and groovearrangement.

3. An agitator as defined in claim 1 including indicia on said closure.

1. A dice agitator comprising a transparent closed hollow containeRhaving a base supporting said container in an upright position; aplate-like platform parallel to said base extending between the innerside walls of said container dividing said container into an upper andlower chamber, said platform having an opening therethroughinterconnecting said chambers; a reciprocal sliding closure extendingthrough an opening in the side of said container, said closure being insliding engagement with said platform to form a substantially planar topsurface with said platform to close said platform opening when in onereciprocated position and establishing communication through saidplatform opening between said chambers in a second reciprocated positionthereof; and a plurality of dice in said container, each being of asmaller dimension than said platform opening, whereby the dice in theupper compartment may be shaken and read with the reciprocated closurebeing utilized to provide the desired number of dice in said uppercompartment.
 2. An agitator as defined in claim 1 wherein the slidingengagement between said closure and said platform comprises a tongue andgroove arrangement.
 3. An agitator as defined in claim 1 includingindicia on said closure.